About us
We started our work because we saw a problem. Two-thirds of students in DC read below their grade level. Our plan is simple: provide a tutor or mentor for every student reading below grade level or in need of additional academic or non-academic support in DC.
Our Vision
Empowering our students
Transforming our community.


Our Mission
Small Steps Lead To Big Changes
To recruit a tutor or mentor for every student in DC and the surrounding suburbs who needs extra academic or non-academic support. In the process, we strive to create a kinder and wiser civic culture – the foundation for thriving, sustainable, and equitable communities and a stronger democracy — that can be a model for communities around the country.
Thriving Engaged Welcoming Nurturing Community
Well-rounded
students succeed in school & out
history
We Are Committed to helping DC students overcome any challenge and attain spectacular results.
Theory of Change
Inputs
- Staff
- Interns
- Civic Leadership Fellows
- Tutoring & mentoring
- organizations & school-based programs
- Young professionals
- Active seniors
- College students
- Residents in communities with greatest needs
- Employers, large & small
- Universities
- College student groups
- Nonprofit organizations
- Religious congregations
- Civic & professional clubs
- Neighborhood associations
Activities
- Farmers markets, festivals and other public spaces
- CivicFest and other DCTMI sponsored events
- Newsletter
- Social media
- Earned local media outreach
- Website
- Presentations
- Outreach partnerships with tutoring & mentoring organizations
- Word-of-mouth
Outputs
- More trained tutors & mentors working with nonprofit tutoring & mentoring organizations
- More hours of tutoring & mentoring
- More students involved in tutoring & mentoring
- More parents connected to needed services and support
- More publicity for Tutoring and Mentoring needs
- More people read, view or heard about tutoring & mentoring opportunities
- More donors and funds raised to staff & support work
Outcomes
- Greater academic success
- Fewer absences
- Test scores improve
- Grades improve
- Graduation rates improve – Greater % of students attend college
- Empathy
- Grit
- Mature leadership
- Increased sense of collective efficacy & fellowship in community
- Greater number of people agree with the following statements:
- “In our city, we can work together to make a better community.”
- “In our city, we take care of one another, young & old; black, white or brown”
- “Our city feels like a real community: vibrant, welcoming, safe…”
Get involved today
what you can do
There are several ways you can get involved. You can harness your abilities and desire to make an impact by becoming a volunteer tutor or mentor. You can also become an outreach lead (volunteer or paid) on the DCTMI team. We are also on the lookout for freelance talent to support the operations and growth of the organization.